Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Traditional Firearms => Flintlock Long Guns => Topic started by: wwpete52 on September 24, 2009, 05:14:30 PM

Title: wads for a Brown Bess
Post by: wwpete52 on September 24, 2009, 05:14:30 PM

Would anyone know what size shotgun wads work with a Pedersoli Brown Bess (11 gauge or 10 gauge)?

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Post by: Mitch on September 24, 2009, 05:27:44 PM

wasp or hornet nest works real good.....can be made to fit any smoothie!!

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Post by: Bigsmoke on September 24, 2009, 06:43:43 PM

What Mitch said.

For factory stuff, I think I always used 11 ga wads in my Bess.  That was a lot of years ago and the memory could be fuzzy.  If you were to measure your bore, it could give you a bit better idea of what size you need.

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Post by: Mitch on September 24, 2009, 06:49:13 PM

I also use thin cardboard(think cereal box) for wads-not to hard to cut out a few while relaxing or find a "cutter/punch" and knock out a few...FWIW, I quit using cushion wads a few years ago-the wads were blowing holes in my patterns(lots of shooting/testing) and I get better results without the cushion wads and it's so much easier to load!! have even used leaves/grass to hold in powder/shot-it works too!

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Post by: Loyalist Dave on September 25, 2009, 01:04:09 PM

Under no circumstances use plastic modern shotshell wads.  They are not designed to take the heat from the BP, and they will leave a mess inside the barrel that is dang tough to get out.  I use tow, or news paper.  In fact I make paper cartridges to hold the powder, tear, pour, and simply ram down the empty cartridge tube on top to form the wad.  I then load a second cartridge that holds only shot, only I don't tear it open, I simply load it as is, and seat it on the previously formed wad.  Works like a charm.

LD

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Post by: wwpete52 on September 25, 2009, 02:49:42 PM

Thanks Dave! Man, I would NEVER put anything plastic down my muzzle.

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Post by: hawkeye on September 25, 2009, 03:07:16 PM

I use 11 gauge overpowder and overshot cards and 12 gauge fiber wads in my Pedersoli Bess.  I soak the fiber wads in olive oil, then cut them in half (thickness wise) and I can shoot all day without fouling build up.